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New Delhi: Mohammed Siraj's indefatigable approach and willingness to bend his back reaped him rich rewards in the England series, Sachin Tendulkar said.
The seamer picked up 23 wickets to be the highest wicket-taker in the five-match test series that ended 2-2 after his nine-wicket match haul led India to a six-run win in the fifth Test.
The right armer claimed five wickets in the seicnd innings, including three in the final day, as India defended a 374-run target. He was the only pacer to play throughout the series.
In Jasprit Bumrah's absence, Siraj took over the mantle of leading a bowling attack that was short on experience and excelled at it, which Tendulkar lauded.
"Unbelievable. Superb approach. I like his attitude,” Tendulkar said in a series of videos posted on Reddit, as quoted by PTI.
"I love the spring in his legs. If you don't look at the scoreboard and you just look at his body language, you will not be able to make out whether it is on a day Siraj has taken five wickets or has got nothing – the body language is the same.
"(Siraj's) attitude and approach are the same. If a fast bowler is constantly in your face like that, no batsman likes that.”
India's chances appeared to evaporate when Joe Root and Harry Brook each struck centuries to forge a big partnership but Siraj and Prasidh Krishna made breakthroughs at crucial junctures to turn the course of the match.
"The team played like a solid unit. From the time they walked out on the field (on Day Five), everyone looked charged up and focused. As we say, planning-wise, there was a definite plan. There was much more discipline in their approach, especially the bowlers,” Tendulkar said.
"If you notice, on the fourth (day) evening, I think they were lacking a bit of discipline and that invariably happens when there is a partnership (and) two batters are playing an attacking game."
Speaking about individual performances of Indian players, Tendulkar felt senior all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja deserves much more credit.
"I would say, an underrated player. The way he contributes, he doesn't get that much credit. As a batter, he has been remarkable in this series. Not only in this series, but if you notice many times, he'll come and he'll rattle the opposition," he said.
Yashasvi Jaiswal’s aggressiveness and KL Rahul’s organised approah also earned praise from the highest run getter in Tests.
"He (Jaiswal) has impressed me because of his mindset. Because he is a fearless batsman and he knows when to accelerate, when to play and (take a) run, (and) when to go to the non-striker end. I think a batter needs to understand that," he said.
“It's possibly one of the best that I've seen him (Rahul) bat. The way he was defending, close to the body and the way he was leaving the ball, I thought he was completely organised.
"He knew where his off stump was and where to leave the ball. I almost got this feeling that sometimes he was able to frustrate the bowler," he added.
Rishabh Pant's way of batting is worthy of winning matches, thus he should not always be judged on the type of shots he attempts, Tendulkar said.
"He has developed a good habit of playing impactful innings. He's figured out his game. There were occasions where people felt that he didn't need to play a certain shot, but someone like Rishabh should be left alone," the scorer of 51 Test tons said.
"I'm not saying that (he should attack) when you're looking to save a match -- then obviously he has to have a different approach. But if it's the first innings, or the second innings, or the third innings, or even for that matter, if he's playing in the fourth innings, in which situation (allows), that he's figured out."
